Morgan Spurlock will premiere his latest meta-documentary The Greatest Movie Ever Sold at Sundance later this month. The film, which is being touted as the first ever “docbuster,” is a documentary about branding, advertising and product placements completed financed by corporate sponsorships. The above poster was designed by Ron English whose work critiques the marketing practices of many brands, most notably McDonald’s. The poster takes some swipes at White Castle, Aunt Jemima and Kellogg’s so click here to enlarge it for a more detailed view.

While I’m not familiar with fast food franchise FatBurger, they’ve done something pretty remarkable in rebranding 64 of its locations into Bob’s Burger, a fictional restaurant featured in Fox’s new animated series of the same name. 7-Eleven launched a similar promotion in 2007 when it “Simpsonized” 11 of its stores into Kwik-E-Marts for the release of The Simpsons Movie. The FatBurger makeover is a bit riskier because 7-Eleven was integrating elements from The Simpsons, an established TV show and brand. This was lauded as a brilliant example of reverse product placement because it allowed customers to enjoy the fictional world of Springfield with products like Krusty O’s and Squishee drinks. The cross-promotion was a welcomed treat for any Simpsons fan. In comparison, Bob’s Burger is a new series without a built-in fan base or place in pop culture history. Regardless, its refreshing to see brands giving customers the opportunity to engage with fictional worlds.

On a side note, I wonder if it’s just a coincidence that both FatBurger and Bob’s Burger logo are red and yellow

I’m not sure where there’s a FatBurger, but here’s a coupon to use if you’re near one. My gift to you!!

For its Fall/Winter 2010 collection, Supreme released a line of hoodies which are undoubtedly inspired by the iconic DKNY mural that once graced the corner of Houston and Broadway. The famed mural, which was painted in 1992, proudly displayed the New York City skyline along with the Statue of Liberty in the foreground. While many considered the mural a glorified billboard, after the September 11th attacks it gained greater significance because it featured the World Trade Center towers in the distance. In June 2009, the mural was painted over with a gross ad for Hollister, signifying Soho’s transformation into a suburban shopping mall.

I’ve noticed stickers baring “SUPNY” all over Soho and originally thought the stickers were the calling card of a local street artist. I’ve seen artists such as Dickchicken utilize corporate branding in their work. I’m sure any native/long-time New Yorker is automatically reminded of DKNY when they see the SUPNY stickers. Supreme drew inspiration from that iconic mural that once captured New York before 9/11, gentrification and commercialization dulled the city’s edge. Although Supreme replaced the DKNY letters, it still shares the stage with the fashion label, which is perhaps what the retailer intended. After all, the DKNY mural went beyond branding–it became a cultural icon.

The giant Michelin Man/Pillsbury Doughboy hybrid won’t be stomping through the streets of New York anytime soon, but thanks Omni Consumer Products you can relive your favorite Ghostbusters memories. Pete Hottelet, the defictionalization mastermind behind Brawndo, Sex Panther cologne and Tru Blood, has now introduced Stay Puft marshmellows to the real world. The fictional treat was first seen among Dana Barrett’s groceries during the scene where a carton of eggs explode on her countertop. I’m sure every child of the 80s longed to hoover these down. I sure did and now that I’m a grown up, I’m total using Stay Puft marshmallows to make candied sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving. They’re also caffeinated and go well with Hi-C Ecto Cooler.

Defictionalization is a fascinating concept and Hottelet is really on to something. Click here to read his AdFreak interview with Rebecca Cullers.

In the “Gamer in the Grease” episode of Bones, the team investigates the death of the only player known to achieve a perfect score on the game, Punky Pong. When I originally watched the episode, I was struck by how it portrayed fandom and exhaustively the promoted the theatrical release of Avatar. Eagerfans were framed as overzealous and even called “freaks and fanatics” by one of the characters (click here for a clip). The inclusion of the subplot that consisted of characters waiting in line for Avatar tickets reeked of a poorly conceived synergy effort that would ultimately make the episode seem dated in reruns (click here for more of my thoughts on movie product placements).

The “Gamer in the Grease” episode included several topics that deserve further analysis including the heavily featured Punky Pong game, which is an example of fictionalized product displacement. The arcade game Bones examines is branded with an ape holding a paddle. Punky Pong name itself is a sort of hybrid reference to Donkey Kong and PONG. The actual purpose of the game is exactly like PONG where a player continually hits a ball back to the opponent. Originally, Punky Pong only existed in the Bones world, but in effort to give its viewers a seen-on-TV experience, Fox launched it on its site after the episode aired. A friend, and apparent Bones fan, informed me that Fox aired promos inviting viewers to visit Fox.com to play the actual game during the episode’s commercial breaks.

Fox essentially defictionalized Punky Pong and created a commodity to engage Bones viewers into the crime procedural’s world. Punky Pong also allowed fans to engage with each other by spreading the game’s link and posting their high scores. It also stimulated viewer curiosity–here, one inquires whether the game is real in which another viewer poignantly responds, “It is now. It didn’t exist before the Bones episode (Gamer in the Grease, Season 5 Episode 9) was created.”

I receive a lot of blog and Flickr hits from people searching for information regarding Alt World 2, a fictionalized Second Life-like game that was featured in a Ghost Whisperer episode. Alt World 2 was never developed into an actual game or even a fan forum, but I get the sense that viewers would welcome and even appreciate playing once fictional games. I think people enjoy the possibility of playing a game that they may already be familiar with in a new context that is established by a show they watch. I track a lot of fictionalized brands for my product displacement blog, but never see search terms regarding whether Mapple, ScienceWater or Buy More actually exist.

Perhaps because games can readily be posted online, people assume games featured on shows are real. In the case of Grand Theft Walrus, a fictionalized version of Grand Theft Auto where a walrus kills penguins, it only existed in The Simpsons world, but was then created by fans of the show. Had Fox released GTW with Rockstar Games, it would have given game the authenticity to be rendered defictionalized, but instead the GTW game available online is stuck in the realm of fan fiction.

Since beginning my initial work on product displacement, I’ve noted several instances in which companies utilize unbranding techniques in their advertising campaigns (Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Freshjive). AT&T’s “Rethink Possible” campaign aims to align its brand with innovation and optimism rather than just promoting their latest products or services. AT&T wants to enhance its image and as mentioned in this NYT article, “selling on price is a pathway to commoditization.”

As you can see from the above image, AT&T has ditched its brand name and emphasizes its iconic globe. While the company hasn’t completely unbranded itself because the globe symbol boasts a high 90% recognition rate among consumers, AT&T is demonstrating that less prominent branding can empower a company’s image. The omission of the letters is strategic leadership move and “displaying [the globe] without the “AT&T” echoes the way Nike is recognized by its swoosh and Target by its target.” By taking the focus off its products and communicating arbitrary messages about the future and technology, AT&T has adopted an open-ended campaign in which consumers engage with the brand by aligning it with personal notions of what innovation means to themselves.

A few weeks ago I noticed subtle yet dramatic changes to VitaminWater’s iconic labels. The once plain (almost medical-looking) labels are now shiny–flashy even. Over at my Flickr page, I’ve annotated the differences between the old and new packaging. The witty, conversational copy has remained the same, but the label makeover makes me wonder if changes are part of an overall rebranding strategy designed to resonate with Millennials. Earlier this year, VitaminWater introduced a new flavor called Connect, which was created by Facebook users. More recent VitaminWater additions also include flavors calls Dwnld and Spark. Perhaps the shiny labels are supposed to signify perpetual connectivity or inclusion in some social network. Please feel free to tag any differences I might have missed.

The smoothie franchise, Jamba Juice was mentioned several times during the “Black Light Attack!” episode of 30 Rock. As Jenna and James Franco work out the details of making their faux relationship believable, Franco mentions having a product placement deal with Jamba Juice. It’s unclear if Jamba Juice actually paid to be mentioned in 30 Rock, but the show is notorious for blatantly calling out its sponsors in clever, tongue-in-cheek ways. Regardless, the Jamba Juice mentions would probably register with many viewers and be monitored by services that track product placements. Auditory brand integration are designed to resonate with viewers like their visual counterparts.

Typically, brand mentions have only been coded and tracked in terms of mention counts and who uttered the brand name. There’s nothing inherently visual about tracking brand mentions compared to on-screen integrations that can be timed for their visual duration and image-captured to analyze how much space a brand name or logo occupies within a scene. One of the goals of my product placement Flickr set is to annotate where branding is featured during product placement occurrences. In my set, the size of the Flickr annotations directly corresponds to the size of the branding displayed.

Ever since Hulu introduced Captions Search, I’ve been trying to figure out how to utilize the feature to express brand mentions visually. I’m fond of the “Heat Map” display, which is capable of outlining how far into a program a brand is mentioned. A quick glance at the above Heat Map for Jamba Juice shows that the company was mentioned within the first five minutes of the episode and then again during the second segment. If Jamba Juice sponsored the show, they would probably want their brand name to be scattered throughout all four segments of the show to ensure audience recall and engagement. Heat Map can easily assist a media planner or product placement broker in ensuring that a brand mention is reinforced by subsequent mentions.

Captions Search results are displayed as textual dialogue, which is makes creating a visualization or infographic difficult. As Captions Search evolves from its beta form into a more dynamic feature, perhaps Hulu will be able to offer results that reads like a script and details character lines in a clearer manner. According to my prior research on product placements, which characters interact with or mention a brand affects how audiences respond to integrations. I noted above which characters mentioned Jamba Juice and even noted that brand was mentioned during a joke.

If Captions Search were capable of conducting some sort of semantic analysis, highlighting areas of irony or humor would be very beneficial since people are more likely to remember a brand mentioned during a line of dialogue that made them laugh. Perhaps tones in dialogue can be color-coded with humorous lines highlighted in yellow and serious, dramatic exchanges displayed in blue. I’m an incredibly visual person and am a lover of words so I’m really anxious to begin organizing and analyzing Captions Search’s data on a graphic level. I’m open to any tips on how to go about it or to program/application suggestions that might be helpful.

The last Coca-Cola ad campaign I remember being launched was “Open Happiness,” which included a catchy jingle that never once mentioned the brand. I thought this was pretty clever and original. Fast-forward a few months and Coca-Cola is beginning a new campaign to promote the brand as being part of a healthy lifestyle because it’s now offering clearer nutrition/calorie labeling and smaller portion sizes. This whole approach is very reminiscent of the changes McDonald’s made to its menu shortly after the fast-food bashing documentary, Super Size Me was released. We all know junk food and sugary drinks aren’t healthy choices, so these attempts at promoting better nutrition and physical activity is kind of like pissing in the wind.

Granted, Coca-Cola’s latest campaign isn’t only about encouraging healthy lifestyles, (ha!) it also touts the beverage giant’s positive impact on communities and encourages people to “make a difference.” This campaign by the way is eerily called “Live Positively” and features a logo that consists of a plus sign and Coke’s signature red and white branding. I believe “Live Positively” was only recently introduced in the United States, but has been used throughout other countries for sometime. I understand the campaign is supposed to communicate empowerment and social responsibility, but the name and imagery reminds me of HIV/AIDS. I know that I’m not reading too much into “Live Positively” because you don’t have to be a master in semiotic analysis to correlate the campaigns symbols with HIV/AIDS. Project Red is a lot subtler in its branding and it’s goal is actually to promote HIV/AIDS awareness.

Even though the disease doesn’t carry the stigma that it once did during the 1980s, the idea of “living positively” is not an ideal. I know Coca-Cola means to inspire positive thinking and positive actions, but the campaign is susceptible to too much misinterpretation. And images like the one above do not help because what I see, and I’m sure others see, is a sort of life-monitoring reading that flatlines. It’s something I would expect Adbusters or other culture jammers to create, not the company itself.

In 2006, Goodyear teamed with Disney and Pixar to promote Cars. In the animated film, the main character, Lightening McQueen (pictured above), dons Lightyear tires and the Lightyear blimp is visible during speedway races. Goodyear’s director of marketing, Joey Viselli, has noted that the company allowed Disney/Pixar to have fun with the brand, but not with the actual brand itself, meaning Goodyear’s inclusion in the film stops short of traditional product placement. Instead, the Lightyear cameos are an example of sponsored product displacement. I’ve been tracking product displacement for a while now, and the Lightyear/Cars occurrence is the only example I’m aware of in which a brand lobbies to be parodied or fictionalized. To promote the release of the film, Goodyear tweaked its iconic Spirit of Goodyear blimp to read “Lightyear” for 15 days and offered Cars-related giveaways.

Ads are obviously used to increase brand awareness and likability, so as media habits change, adverting approaches need to evolve as well. Compared to television, watching videos online is significantly more active. People actively seek online video content as opposed to aimlessly flicking through channels. I’ve recently noticed a proliferation of Hulu ads that appeal to the more active, and possibly impatient, type of viewership emerging.

The Hulu ad package has gone from predictable overlays, slates and pre-rolls to experiences where viewers chose which ads play or watch “branded commercial-free” content (click here for video example). Last year, Hulu unveiled what I refer to as their “choices” feature, which provides the option of watching one long-form video or several shorter ones. Hulu describes it as a “win/win experience for both the advertiser and the user” (via: Hulu Case Study). This approach has evolved to Hulu offering viewers ad selection options, which of course provide for a more meaningful and memorable experience.

In a medium where people can search for, create and tune-out content so easily, it seems only natural for them decide what marketing messages they would like to receive. Unlike YouTube, which recently introduced an ad-skipping option to its site, even Hulu’s commercial fast-forwarding feature is brand-sponsored (click here for video example). What Hulu particularly succeeds at, is making its ads seem non-invasive. I’ll go as far to say that it’s creating opportunities for ads to be a form of entertainment. YouTube product manager, Phil Farhi states, “Advertisers like in-stream ads because they look and feel like TV ads,” however to truly reach and engage audiences pre-rolls/in-stream ads must mimic how people use the web (via: Adweek). Case in point: Lowe’s Christmas ads inviting users to tour its websites.

The Lowe’s ads combines terms like “mouse around” and “explore” with interactive displays that invite heavy click-through activity. Viewers are even invited to build their own online Christmas tree, which would obviously distract them from the program they’re watching. Farhi believes people are “less conditioned” to ad interruptions online, but I believe since the Internet consists of perpetual interruptions, advertisers just need to put audiences in the driver’s seat and make those interruptions entertaining.

Hulu in-stream ads aren’t going the way of the 30-second TV spot, they’re going the way of the app. By this I mean they have the potential to develop into fun ways to waste/occupy time. I recently saw a Hulu ad for Toyota that featured a trivia game before my program began. I played out of curiosity and boredom, but was overall impressed by the lack of the hard sell. And with Hulu inevitably transitioning into both an ad-supported and subscription service, the advertising as entertainment approach seems even more appealing and less likely to draw resentment.

According to The Daily Mail, Kellogg’s plans to laser its logo on individual corn flakes. The drastic and peculiar plan is meant to emphasize the Kellogg’s brand name in a cereal market flooded with cheaper generic options, which they refer to as “fake flakes.”

Helen Lyons, Lead Food Technologist at the company states, “We want shoppers to be under absolutely no illusion that Kellogg’s does not make cereal for anyone else. We’re constantly looking at new ways to reaffirm this and giving our golden flakes of corn an official stamp of approval could be the answer. We’ve established that it is possible to apply a logo or image onto food, now we need to see if there is a way of repeating it on large quantities of our cereal. We’re looking into it.” [via: The Daily Mail]

I’ve debated whether generic brands are forms of product displacements and ultimately decided that they are since they mimic packaging and naming conventions of their brand name counterparts. In the midst of a recession, consumers often buy generic products to save money. As generic/store brands improved in quality, consumers realize that when they purchase brand name cereal, they are just paying for advertising.

The Kellogg’s laser idea is an attempt to give their corn flakes cereal a label of prestigiousness. As I’ve stated many times when discussing product displacement, even if a brand is tweaked, consumers will still identify the greeked product with the brand referenced. Based on Lyons’ statement, it seems Kellogg’s is worried that product displacement is working too well because consumers assume that all corn flakes are made by Kellogg’s.Click here for another example of a “generic” cereal. Can you guess the brand name cereal being reference?

PSFK recently wrote about Freshjive’s initiative to remove its logo and brand name from its clothing and inner labels. The blog refers to Freshjive’s latest design approach, which consists of plain black labels that only detail the garment’s size encased in a white frame, as an anti-branding campaign. This is a misreading of the streetwear company’s strategy, which is to unbrand itself in order to create a new identity or establish a different kind of relevance within the fashion industry. Freshjive’s owner and designer, Rick Klotz, states, “Throughout the years I’ve become uncomfortable with this business of branding and brand identity. I’m not the type of person that buys something for the brand name.” He goes on to describe the presence of logos on clothing as an anathema to individualism.

Consumers are steadily becoming more critical of branding and Klotz is cleverly flattering his fanbase for their resistance to advertising. Freshjive is great example of product displacement emerging as an effective marketing strategy in the real world (See my post on Starbucks). Klotz essentially unbranded Freshjive to create a new, poignant identity that appeals to its discerning clientele. By unbranding Freshjive, Klotz has created an opportunity to distance his brand from rival companies and re-encode what his label stands for. He admits the minimalist garment labels are a form of branding and in a comment on PSFK writes, “I am aware it’s not a “pure” non branding move. But I still believe the process of taking the logo/name off the labels (while still retaining the label) is a step in a good direction, and in the least creates awareness and further critique.”

On that note, one element that is present in many instances of fictionalized product displacements on television is the use of parody. It seems Klotz intends on parodying iconic logos and warns branders, “Careful when building an influential logo, as I just might use that influence through some further graphic manipulation, and throw it back out into the market like a brick bashing through a window.” Klotz’s removal of Freshjive logos coupled with his intention to mock other brands for the sake of raising awareness to branding, situates his fans as both ad busters and consumers. This rather unique combination that capitalizes on media literacy and skepticism.

The 2008/2009 season was marked with a great deal of uncertainty as automotive spending, the largest ad category for network television, steadily decreased. However, desperately needing to reach customers more than ever, the Big Three (Ford, Chrysler and GM) actively sought pricey brand integration deals. General Motors invested heavily in NBC’s quickly cancelled spy series, My Own Worst Enemy. As Brian Stelter notes in his New York Times article, integration deals are very risky and when a show is cancelled, a brand’s exposure from its product placements is as well.

In addition to being a primary sponsor of NBC’s reality show America’s Toughest Jobs, Chrysler signed an elaborate partnership with Fox’s Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles that included heavy in-program integrations of its Dodge Ram truck. The package also promoted Dodge Ram’s “Never Back Down From a Challenge” vehicle giveaway and featured blatant Dodge branding on all Sarah Connor websites and promotional materials. Dodge Ram was a very good fit for an action-packed show like Sarah Connor and even ranked second in a list of most-recalled hybrid ads (via: Nielsen).

Since Chrysler, was the exclusive automotive sponsor of the show, Sarah Connor provides great examples of techniques used to cover up competitor logos and brand names. I refer to this process as unbranding. It’s more likely for audience members to recall product occurrences In this scene, the “Chev” in Chevrolet were blackened as Cameron walks by a van. This image shows the unbranded grill of a Chevy Suburban that was digitally altered in post production. I was able to identify the SUV during a brief shot in which the Suburban brand name was (probably accidentally) visible. These examples of demonstrate how unbranding serves as a technique to enhance the advertising effectiveness of Chrysler vehicles by eliminating any presence of competitors.

In early December, as the magnitude of the automotive industry crisis was becoming even more apparent, Chrysler announced that it may not survive after 2009 and would probably file for bankruptcy. It was during this period that Chrysler product placements in began to deviate from the established norm. The “Earthlings Welcome Here” episode of Sarah Connor Chronicles, which aired December 15, 2008, signaled what I can only speculate was the end of Chrysler’s integration deal with the show. The episode does not contain any Dodge Ram occurrences, but does feature Sarah Connor driving a Jeep Liberty. The majority of shots where the Jeep brand name and logo were visible, occurred in a split second and would probably not be noticed by a casual viewer.

As I’ve noted above, unbranding is used by networks and studios to eliminate the presence of rival companies and increase brand recall. Essentially, unbranding helps eliminate the clutter and influence of brands that are not primary advertisers of a show. Viewers are more likely to remember and engage with a brand/product if it’s presented by itself. “Earthlings Welcome Here” demonstrates another industrial function of unbranding, which is to prevent giving advertisers free publicity. While Chrysler make have initially paid for a season long integration package, it’s quite possible that the company pulled out given its dismal financial state. Many of the Jeep Liberty scenes in “Earthlings Welcome Here” feature Sarah Connor driving down long, windy, empty desert roads. These are the types of images you would expect to see in a car commercial.

While I’m sure when this episode was filmed, it’s fairly clear that Chrysler’s Jeep brand was supposed to be heavily promoted, as evidenced by the title character’s (Sarah Connor) repeated use of the SUV. In addition, the Jeep Liberty was given a lot of screen-time, that was however, negated by it’s logo being digitally removed. I have include two images in my Product Placement Flickr set I believe illustrate an intended lingering visual duration of the Jeep Liberty. In this image, the Jeep is moving directly towards the camera, but there is no trace of the Jeep brand name. Several seconds later, just as Sarah Connor is visible behind the wheel, it becomes obvious that the Jeep brand name and logo were deliberately blurred out. This scene consisted of one continuous shot and would have surely generated high recall from viewers if Jeep was not displaced by the show’s unbranding efforts.

No that’s not a typo in the blog title. Walmart recently replaced its widely recognizable logo and ditched the star and hyphen. It seems Fox News (along with perhaps other major media outlets) must not have received the memo, because as I began this post, the network flashed a caption that included the hyphen. The retail monster giant has been plagued by media coverage of its business practices and poor treatment of employees and like many companies concerned with their image and reputation, Walmart is attempting to improve its public perception. This is quite a feeble and poorly executed attmept I must say. Branding company Lippincott is reportedly behind the new logo, but this information has yet to be confirmed (via: Brand New). I guess the agency doesn’t want to be associated with this mess. Click here for an artist rendering of a sign to be used at a test store in Memphis.

The rebranding effort will also include the “Save Money. Live Better” slogan, which replaced the long-standing “Always Low Prices” in 2007 (via: Huffington Post). The old navy blue, sans serif logo was introduced in 1992 and used a five-point star as a hyphen–perhaps for patriotic effect. Click herefor a Walmart logo timeline. The color is definitely softer and is meant to represent the company’s supposed commitment to environmental responsibility. The font is no longer in all caps, which Brand Newpoints out, “…helps humanize Walmart with a name that reads more like John, Albert, Sarah or Wilbur.” The new design seems to be very Web 2.0 influenced. Click here to see examples of Web 2.0 typography and let me know what you think.

A press release from Walmart states, “This update to the logo is simply a reflection of the refresh taking place inside our stores and our renewed sense of purpose to help people save money so they can live better,” but does not explain the significance of the asterisk-like starburst. Brand New commenters have brilliantly compared the starburst to an asshole, which pretty much sums up the suites that run the company.

On a side-note, I once was deducted a whole grade point for a paper that I wrote about Walmart because I failed to include the hyphen. Also, the Fox News report on Walmart was about the retailer being named the largest company in the world. It must have been a slow news day, because I always thought that was common knowledge.

Ray-Ban recently launched a campaign for their new line of Wayfarer sunglasses. The Project Colorize ads and products were designed by five New York artists (Tara McPherson, Scott Alger, Queen Andrea, Ron English, and Toofly) and have been featured in Marie Claire. The billboards, which will run in New York, are expected to 16 million impressions each month (via: Adweek). To kick off the promotion, Ray-Ban sponsored a stunt near Herald Square in which paid actors donned their Wayfarers to stare at one of the billboards (via: Style Wise). Click here to see a couple of pictures from the event.

Wayfarers are back in a big way. I just purchased a pair over the weekend. Although, I love the Project Colorize styles and was really looking forward to getting the ones designed by Tara McPherson, I opted to get a more subtle color. Last year, Ray-Ban introduced its Never Hide campaign, which emphasized consumer involvementthrough its online community and gave a lucky few the opportunity to feel like super-models. If you attended the Project Colorize marketing stunt, please send me pics or tell me your thoughts. It would be much appreciated!

AKQA, London’s latest endeavor for NikeiD seeks to take mobile marketing to a new level by attempting to deepen the interaction between the consumer and brand. NikePhotoiD, the latest service offered by NikeiD, allows users to customize Dunk high-tops on the fly by simply texting an image of their surroundings with a camera phone. The application then selects the two dominant colors of an image and sends participants an example of a customized sneaker superimposed over the original image they took along with a link to share or purchase their creation. NikePhotoiD will only be available in Europe, but AKQA is working on expanding the product selections and service to other regions.

Paulo Tubito, Nike’s Director of Brand Connections, states, “Where past use of MMS in mobile marketing campaigns has typically focused on short-term, one-way interactions between brands and consumers, Nike PhotoiD opens a genuine creative dialogue between the brand and its audience” (via: Contagious). I’ve always found most mobile marketing attempts to be rather one-dimensional despite being highly user-controlled and initiated. Although NikePhotoiD includes a viral aspect, I doubt designs will be widely shared on a long-term basis. Perhaps its because the NikeiD website has such boring color and material selections, but I’ve never enjoyed viewing the sneaker designs of other people. This really seems like a neat service and when it arrives in the states, I’ll definitely try it out, but it strikes me as nothing more than a gimmick that will lose its appeal after customers satisfy their curiosity. Ross Cidlowski makes a great point when he wonders if Europeans use cell phones differently and questions whether this campaign will have any significant impact on people’s behavior.

I love customized sneakers and appreciate how Nike is inviting customers to capture the environments that inspire them. The creative process, however, is severely limited by the lack of color options and ability to actively design the sneaker. Perhaps a more effective way for Nike to strengthen its mobile communication with consumers would have been a relaunch of the NikeiD website with better navigation and palettes that allow visitors to create custom colors and patterns.

The polls will close at the end of June and a new soft drink will join the Mountain Dew family. In November, PepsiCo, which owns Mountain Dew, teamed up with WhittmanHart and launched an exceedingly interactive ad campaign to revitalize the brand. The campaign consists of several phases where players of an online game design their own Mountain Dew drink. The user-generated beverages were then narrowed down to three flavors (Supernova, Voltage, Revolution) and are currently being sold for a limited time. The packaging instructs customers to visit Dewmocracy.com and vote for their favorite flavor. It goes without saying that Mountain Dew is playing off of the excitement of the national elections and even displays results from each state.

“Dewmocracy” is the first large-scale web marketing campaign by Mountain Dew that targets teens and Millennials, who have grown up with the Internet. In 2007, the brand ended its highly-successful “Do the Dew” and “extreme sports” approach to end being labeled as an energy drink like Red Bull. Ending its long-time partnership with BBDO and opting to collaborate with WhittmanHart has so far demonstrated impressive results. The agency has incorporated many opportunities for consumers to be entertained and collaborate into the media it created. The “Dewmocracy” website in particular contains experiential features where visitors can post messages and create there own 20-second campaign commercials to share on their social-networking profiles.

In addition to the website and multi-player game, WhittmanHart created a 4-minute short filmto provide “Dewmocracy” with a back-story. The power to design a drink is framed as an act of defiance against evil corporations seeking to eliminate people’s freedom to make their own choices. This sort of rhetoric that addresses cynicism toward corporations is similar to how Mountain Dew appealed to “Gen Xers” in the 90s and will likely make the campaign a success. Although members of “Dewmocracy” may not view themselves as full-fledged counterculturalists, they look for outlets of self-expression and the site provides exactly that. In March, WhittmanHart reported “Dewmocracy” drew 70,000 visitors that spent an average of 26-28 minutes on the site.

To promote the three flavors, PepsiCo has been giving customers free bottles and 12-pack cans at several supermarket chains. I’m sure the soft-drink giant is hoping to get people hooked on a particular flavor and so they will visit Dewmocracy.com and become brand ambassadors campaign supporters. Overall, the interactivity of Mountain Dew’s new marketing strategy is top-notch and engaging. Voting-centered ad campaigns seem to be popular and enjoyed by consumers. In 2003 and 1995, M&Ms drew a lot of attention and participation when the company asked customers to select a new color for its candy.

Reebok couldn’t release a decent pair of sneakers if the instructions were written on the heel. The company’s latest attempt at whetting the palates of sneaker collectors is an ill-conceived collaboration with Kool-Aid. Their line of Kool-Aid scented sneakers, which are available in grape, cherry, and strawberry, was released earlier this month. For the burgeoning fashion victims fashionistas that enjoy coordinating their outfits, matching hoodies, hats and t-shirts are available and will most likely be hitting the clearance rack the second they’re unloded off the truck.

If these sneakers were geared towards children, I’d forgive the bright colors and figure Reebok is capitalizing on their love of sugary, artificially flavored drinks. However, the Kool-Aid kicks are part of the company’s 2008 “Your Move” campaign, which tries way too hard to portray Reebok as a brand that embraces individuality. Granted, I’m not all that familiar with Reebok or its products, but I have seen a couple of its recent spots, and I must say, the ads are definitely lacking authenticity.

Reebok is obviously trying create a space for itself among sneaker heads, but it fails to realize sneaker-collecting culture was created by the consumers. Nike, Adidas and Puma know this and are able to make campaigns that come across as collaborative, not phony. Another reason why Reebok will never be fully embraced by collectors is its lack of a solid brand identity and history. Several years ago it rebranded itself as RBK, a move that reminds me of KFC’s disturbing (and somewhat true) urban legend. It’s really hard to establish a long-term relationship with a company that undergoes identity crises and encourages shoe-sniffing.

Objectives:
adidas America and cip Marketing Corporation have partnered to create an exciting opportunity for students. As one of the leading brands in the world, adidas is aware of the value of the relationship with retailers and consumers. We are looking for students to assist in our mission to inspire adidas retailers and consumers. Students who can inspire by sharing the passion, authenticity and innovations of the adidas brand.Duties and Responsibilities:
Must be a self starter with strong self management skills. Must have flexibility to work with short time lines in a fast-paced environment.
• Ensure sell-through of adidas products
• Increase Accounts’ Sales Associates knowledge of and passion for adidas products, marketing initiatives and technologies
• Brand representative at events

Qualification:

• Above average MS Office skills
• Excellent communication, presentation skills and ability to interact at all levels within an organization
• Ability to lift 60 lbs
• Ability to travel within Metro area

cip is currently handling several retail and event projects for Adidas. It seems as though Adidas is looking to engage retailers as well as consumers, thus adding a whole new level to its marketing strategies. It really impressive to see how in a relatively short time Eric Liedtke has managed to revitalize the company’s image after its declining sales in the late 90s. I might apply to the job; Lord knows gambling debts don’t pay off themselves and I’m not one to welsh on a bet.

A lot has been going down in the world of Adidas and being an avid sneaker collector, I’m excited! Following a month-long renovation, the Originals store in SoHo reopened during Fashion Week and set the stage for the company’s new Celebrate Originality campaign. To promote the launch of the redesigned store, a giant adidas Originals shoebox was placed on Broome St. Adidas, 180 Amsterdam and Hill & Knowlton have been generating a lot of buzz over their viral and interactive marketing strategies, which includes the release of an animated film about Adi Dassler on YouTube and implementing various blogger/social-networking outreach methods.

The Celebrate Originality campaign introduces the miOriginals concept, which allows customers to design their own sneakers through interactive, in-store workshops. According to Andrea Corso, an Adidas spokesperson, “It’s special for Originals because it’s now making this design component available to more consumers with more products and turning it over to them so they can bring their creative to life.” During a time in which people do not only consume, but rather render brands and products as part of themselves, the new Adidas campaign will most likely succeed. Adidas introduced sneaker customization–a phenomenon that has proved successful for both Nike and Puma–in 1984 with the release of it Adicolor products. Through the use of a brand model that treats customers as active, creative partners and participants, sneaker companies function much like a culture.

Adidas has embraced the promotion of digital media and interactive events in the past. In 2006, the company created several short films on YouTube for each color in its re-released Adicolor series. For this campaign, Adidas opened a secret showroomin NYC’s Chinatown that prompted a lot of online discussion over its location. To compliment a website it created for user-generated content, Adidas put up white billboards that encouraged people to tag them with graffiti.

With a new Atelier retail design and special section in its stores for customers to relax in and be inspired, Adidas is not merely executing their latest advertising campaign. Celebrate Originality serves as an example of how companies are seeking to increase brand loyalty and engagement by using marketing methods that encourage experiences.